Balloon projecting toy device



Oct. 22, 1957 H- L MON BALLOON PRoJEcT-i'm; TOY DEVICE Fi led my 6, 1955 I 51:: 8 d .JLWLE! l. I i

FIG. 3.

INV ENTOR U HOWARD D. SOLCMON.

ATTQRNEYS,

- -Patented Oct. 22, 1957 BALLOON PROJECTING TOY DEVICE Howard D. Solomon, Brooklyn, N. Y.

Application July 6, 1955, Serial No. 520,217

2 Claims. (Cl. 124-16) This invention relates generally to toys, and is particularly directed to a novel toy for projecting resiliently depressible articles, such as balloons, balls, and the like.

The particular embodiment of the article of the present invention, which is illustrated in the drawings, and which will be described hereinafter in greater detail, comprises generally a base adapted for attachment to a users hand, and a peg or stud projecting from the base for resiliently depressing an article to be projected.

It is a general object of the present invention to provide an apparatus which is extremely simple and safe to operate, highly amusing to both adults and children, and which serves to develop dexterity, skill and coordination.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a toy construction of the type described for projecting articles, which may be efiectively operated by relatively small children lacking the coordination necessary to throw, and whereby such children may be safely and constructively occupied and self-entertained over long periods of time.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide an article projecting toy having the advantageous characteristics mentioned in the foregoing paragraphs, which is extremely simple and durable in construction, requiring no moving parts, long lasting and reliable in use, and which can be manufactured and sold at a reasonable cost.

Other objects of the present invention will become apparent upon reading the following specification and referring to the accompanying drawings, which form a material part of this disclosure.

The invention accordingly consists in the features of construction, combinations of elements, and arrangements of parts, which will be exemplified in the construction hereinafter described, and of which the scope will be indicated by the appended claims.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a perspective view showing the device of the present invention in operative association with the hand of a user, the latter being illustrated in dot-anddash outline;

Fig. 2 is a side view, partly in section, showing the device of the invention attached to an operators hand, and illustrating a resiliently depressible article in an intermediate stage of the method of the present invention;

Fig. 3 is a plan View showing the projecting device of Figs. 1 and 2, apart from the operators hand;

Fig. 4 is a sectional view, somewhat enlarged, taken substantially along the line 44 of Fig. 2; and

Fig. 5 is a plan view similar to Fig. 3, but showing a slightly modified form of the present invention.

Referring now more particularly to the drawings, and specifically to Figs. 1 and 2 thereof, the projecting device of the present invention illustrated therein is generally designated 10, and shown as attached to a users hand 11. That is, the projecting device is secured on the palm 12 adjacent to the inner ends of the digits or fingers 13 of the hand 11.

More specifically, the projecting device 10 includes a relatively flat base piece or disc 14, which may be fabricated of either flexible or rigid material, as desired, and is formed with a pair of parallel spaced, diametrically opposed slots 15, 15. Projecting from one face of the base member 14, substantially normal to the latter, is an elongate, rigid member, stud or peg 17. Stated otherwise, the peg 17 has one end fixed to the base 14, and has its other end free and extending away from the base. The stud or peg 17 is preferably formed with a plurality of longitudinally extending, circumferentially spaced flutes or grooves 18, which grooves combine to define therebetweena plurality of longitudinally extending, circumferentially spaced ribs 19. The free end 20 of the peg 17 is preferably rounded or blunt, for purposes appearing presently.

It is preferred, for attractiveness, economy, and other v reasons, to integrally form the base 14 and peg 17, say

of plastic material. However, it is appreciated that the base and stud may be fabricated separately, of any desired material, and subsequently secured together.

An elastic strip 22 has one end looped, as at 23 through one of the base piece slots 15, and has its other end looped, as at 24 through the other base piece slot, so that the elastic member has its opposite ends attached to opposite portions of the base piece. Hence, the users hand may be engaged through the elastic band 22 with the base piece 14 adjacent to the palm 12 of the hand, andthe elastic will effectively secure the base piece in facing engagement with the palm. For use with different size hands, the elastic end loop 24 may be adjustable, if desired.

With the base piece 14 secured in facing engagement with the palm 12 of the users hand 11, so that the peg 17 extends away from the users hand, a resiliently depressible article or body, such as the balloon shown partially and in section at 26 in Fig. 2, may be engaged with the free end 20 of the peg. Further, the balloon 26 may be forcibly moved toward the base plate 14 so that the balloon portion 27 is resiliently depressed or distorted into the balloon. With the ballon or other resiliently depressible article in this depressed condition receiving the peg 17, the operators fingers 13 are readily adapted to grasp and retain the balloon in such condition. Upon spreading or opening of the operators fingers, the balloon will be released, so that the depressed balloon portion 27 will return to its undepressed state and thereby impart a projecting force to the balloon. That is, the balloon will be projected longitudinally outwards from the free end 20 of the peg 17.

When it is desired to impart a spiral or rotary movement to the article or balloon 26 during its trajectory, the article may be slightly rotated when in the intermediate or launching position of Fig. 2. That is, the depressed portion 27 of the balloon 26 will substantially conformably engage with the grooves 18 and ribs 19 of the peg, so that rotation of the depressed balloon portion will be resisted upon twisting or rotation of the balloon axially of the peg. Thus, the balloon portion 28 immediately adjacent to the depressed balloon'portion 27 will be twisted or distorted; and, upon manual release of the balloon, the distorted portion 28 will return to its undistorted condition and impart a spiral or rotary force to the balloon, in addition to the above described projecting force. This spiral or rotary projecting is particularly effective when employed with relatively long balloons or other projectiles, axially thereof.

For increased wear and durability, the elastic strip or band 22 may be replaced by strap sections 22a, and 22b,

see Fig. 5, such as may be fabricated of leather or the like. For adjustability, the strap section 22b may be provided with a buckle 23a and a plurality of longitudinally spaced apertures 24a are formed in the strap section 22a for interengagement-with the buckle.

From the foregoing, it is seen that the present invention provides a method of projecting resiliently depressible articles, and apparatus for use therein, which fully accomplish their intended purposes, and are well adapted to meet practical conditions of use.

Although the present invention has been described in some detail by way of illustration and example for purposes of clarity of understanding, it is understood that certain changes andmodifications may be made within the spirit of the invention and-scope of the-appended claims.

What is claimed is: t

l. A device for projecting a resiliently depressible article, said device comprising a substantially flat base having opposing surfaces and having means for attaching it onto the palm of a users hand with one surface engaging the palm of the hand, and a peg having-one e'nd fixed to the other surface of said base and having its other end free and extending away from the base and the users hand, said article being adapted to be manually retained with the free end of said peg engaged in a resiliently depressed portion of said article, so that upon manual release of said article the depressed portion thereof returns to its undepressed state and thereby imparts a force projecting said article away from said peg, said peg being formed with circum'ferentially spaced longitudinally extending ribs formed in circumferentially spaced fashion on said peg and adapted to engage with the depressed portion of said article to enable the latter to be rotated without slippage of said depressed portion relative to said peg, whereby upon release of said article said depressed portion imparts a rotary force to said article in addition to said first named force.

2. A device for projecting a resiliently depressible article, said device comprising a disc-like plate of a size to fit within the palm of the hand of a user and having opposing surfaces, means for detachably securing said disc-like plate on the hand with one surface in facing engagement with. the palm of a users hand, and a peg perpendicularly extending from the other surface of the disc-like plate away from the users hand for engagement in a resiliently depressed portion of said article .when the-latter is grasped by the fingers of the users hand, so that release of said article by the users hand enables the depressed portion of said article to resume its undepressed condition and thereby impart a projecting force to said article, said peg being provided with longitudinally extending ribs adapted to engage with the depressed portion of said article to enable the latter to be rotated without slippage of said depressed portion relative to said peg, whereby upon release of said article said dopressed portion imparts a rotary force to said article in addition to said first named force. 

